


A Matter of Seconds

by Pagestealer



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt Diego Hargreeves, Suicide, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25650151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pagestealer/pseuds/Pagestealer
Summary: After the Hargreeves save the world, they think it’s finally over. But someone has unfinished business and they may lose one of their own.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Diego Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Diego Hargreeves
Comments: 2
Kudos: 102





	A Matter of Seconds

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me. Only borrowing with respect. 
> 
> I have only watched the first 7 episodes of season 2 so I have no idea how this all ends. Forgive any ridiculous inaccuracies. This is just a quick story I banged out in 20 minutes, but it popped into my head and needed to be put down on paper. It’s not really up to snuff so I’m sorry.

The seven Hargreeve siblings stood in a circle in the hallway of their family home in 2019. They couldn’t believe it. They had actually managed to stop an apocalypse. Finally! They stood there in disbelief, grinning at each other. “Well,” said Luther, clapping his hands together, “we should probably go see what’s changed out there.” As everyone turned to head downstairs, they head a grunt. They turned around and saw the last surviving Swede standing behind Diego, who had a look of shock on his face. They all stared in horror and disbelief as a large knife slowly pushed its way through Diego’s sternum. Eyes wide and shocked, Diego opened his mouth as if to speak and a gush of blood came out instead. The Swede smiled wickedly at the siblings and said, “Oga Foroga.” An eye for an eye. He locked eyes with Allison and said, “You kill my brother, I kill yours.” As if that broke a spell, Allison rushed forward. “I heard a rumor…you killed yourself,” she spat out. The Swedes eyes widened in panic and he released his hold on Diego, ripping the knife out, turned and flung himself out the third story window. They all heard as his body hit the ground with a thud on the concrete terrace below. 

\---

Diego sunk to the floor as his siblings rushed forward at once. A pool of blood was already expanding out beneath him as Luther reached him first and gathered his body into his arms, cradling is head in his lap. The others all knelt down in a circle around him, uncaring of the mess they were leaning in. Klaus grabbed one hand and Vanya the other as Diego choked and gasped. He grasped their hands tightly, wincing from the pain. Already his eyes were becoming unfocused, glazing over as he gurgled up blood. Luther started to cry as he desperately pushed his large hand up against the ugly wound in Diego’s back, as Allison desperately tried to seal up the wound in his chest. Only Five stood back, hovering in disbelief and sorrow. Everyone had tears in their eyes now. “We have to do something,” sobbed Allison. “We have to go find help!” “It’s too late,” said Klaus sadly, putting his free hand on her shoulder comfortingly. Diego’s eyes focused and he looked up at Klaus. “Ben?” he gasped out softly. “Is Ben…here?” Klaus glanced at Ben, nodded, and closed his eyes, willing Ben’s glowing form to appear beside him. Ben smiled sadly and waved. Diego coughed out a laugh and managed a small smile back. “Good to see you brother,” he whispered. “I’ve missed you,” said Ben. A tear slid down Diego’s nose and dropped onto the floor. “I missed you all,” said Diego softly. “My brothers and sisters. Team...Zero.” Luther tightened his grip as Diego’s breathing became more ragged. Vanya let out a small sob. “No, no, no, stay with us, stay with us,” cried Luther, smoothing down Diego’s now long wavy hair. “Stay with us,” he whispered softly. Diego, with much effort, locked eyes with each one of them. Then his gaze slipped out of focus and his grip on Klaus and Vanya’s hands went slack. With a soft shuddering breath his body went limp. He was gone. 

They all sat there in silence for several moments. Then Five howled, making them all jump. They had forgotten he was standing behind them. Now he paced, kicking furniture and screaming at the ceiling. “Think, think, think,” he said desperately, pulling at his hair. “Time travel,” he muttered. “Time travel can fix this somehow. What did the old man say? Seconds. A matter seconds can determine the course of the world. A lot can happen in a matter of seconds.” He snapped his fingers, stopped pacing frantically and looked up at his siblings, still sitting in a pool of blood, Diego’s dead body between them. Staring at the pale, still form of his once so fiery, passionate, alive brother, a tear slipped down Five’s cheek. Then he looked at the others. “I can fix this,” he said confidently. And with that, he disappeared. 

\---

Five reappeared standing by the window, looking at the top of the stairs, at himself and all of his siblings standing in a circle, grinning at each other. He turned and saw, creeping up behind him, a surprised looking Swede. Five turned and grabbed a large medieval mace off the wall (thank God and Sir Reginald Hargreeves for collecting so many ridiculous antiques and weapons, and displaying them all within easy reach of multiple children) and without hesitation swung it mightily at the Swedes head. Before the Swede could even react, it was embedded in his skull and he fell over backwards, dead. Five’s siblings turned with alarm and rushed towards him, all asking questions at once. Five turned to them, familiar blood splatter on his face, and saw that they were all whole and unharmed. It had worked. The old man had been right. Seconds not years was the way to go. He had done it. He stepped forward and without thinking, grabbed Diego, the now alive, unbloodied, confused looking Diego and hugged him tight. This alarmed everyone, of course. Very un-Five like behavior. But he didn’t care. He had watched someone he loved die yet again, then he had stopped it yet again. And it felt so good. Maybe it was time to stop hiding his feelings, to act like a brother again. And that would start with a hug. Bemused, Diego returned the hug tightly, because really, that’s all he ever wanted and everyone knew it. Klaus immediately rushed forward and joined the hug happily, as he was wont to do. The others rolled their eyes and glanced at each other. Well why not? They had saved the world. They all stepped in and joined the three brothers, creating a very uncharacteristic Hargreeves family group hug. And it felt so good.


End file.
